Question

What key changes did emancipation make in the political and economic status of African Americans? Discuss the expansion of citizenship rights in the post-Civil War years.

Answer 1

Answer:

End of slavery and that all persons held as slaves in the Southern states are free.

Explanation:

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863 proclaimed for the end of slavery and that all persons held as slaves in the Southern states are free.

After the issue of the emancipation, thousands of slaves were freed from the confederate states. They were allowed to join the Union army which gradually uplifted many African-American lives. The 13th Amendment of the Constitution solidified the end of slavery and the rise of new political and economic aspirations for the African-Americans.

The Reconstruction was a period after the end of the Civil War. It was a period of great transition in the political, social and economic lives of the African Americans. While the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th and the 15th Amendment guaranteed various constitutional rights such as citizenship and voting rights. Many African-Americans became full-fledged citizenship and held positions in governmental offices.